Adjustable hair band

ABSTRACT

Described is an adjustable hair band that includes an elongated main body portion including an exterior side, an interior side, and first and second holes extending between the exterior and interior sides. The adjustable hair band also includes a strap that passes through the first hole and the second hole, the strap including a first end portion that is larger than the first hole and a second end portion that is larger than the second hole. The strap may be configured to move between (i) a loose configuration where the first end portion is adjacent to the exterior side at the first hole and the second end portion is adjacent to the exterior side at the second hole and (ii) a tightened configuration where the first end portion is pulled away from the first hole such that a portion of the strap passes through the first hole.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention relates to adjustable hair bands for securinga wearer's hair and the like.

BACKGROUND

People with long hair often tie or secure their hair for practicaland/or aesthetic purposes. For example, it may be necessary to securehair to prevent hair from interfering with vision or to reduce heatassociated with excess hair draping over the person's neck or back. Inaddition, a user or wearer may desire to secure his or her hair in anaesthetically pleasing style, including the design or style of thedevice used to secure the hair, such that a hair band may be considereda fashion accessory. It may be necessary to adjust the a user's hairband based on the particular characteristics of the individual and/orthe quantity of hair to be secured. Further, based on comfort and toavoid fatigue or headaches associated with hair bands, it may benecessary adjust the hair band after prolonged usage. Conventional hairbands are designed to be worn in a single position without adjustment.

In certain situations, it may be desirable to design a hair band that isadjustable both for a quantity of hair and also is continuallyadjustable for comfort.

SUMMARY

The terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “thepresent invention” used in this patent are intended to refer broadly toall of the subject matter of this patent and the patent claims below.Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit thesubject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of thepatent claims below. Embodiments of the invention covered by this patentare defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is ahigh-level overview of various aspects of the invention and introducessome of the concepts that are further described in the DetailedDescription section below. This summary is not intended to identify keyor essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intendedto be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subjectmatter. The subject matter should be understood by reference toappropriate portions of the entire specification of this patent, any orall drawings and each claim.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, an adjustablehair band includes an elongated main body portion including an exteriorside, an interior side, a first hole extending between the exterior andinterior sides at a first end, and a second hole extending between theexterior and interior sides at a second end. The adjustable hair bandalso includes a strap that passes through the first hole and the secondhole, the strap including a first end portion that is larger than thefirst hole and a second end portion that is larger than the second hole.The strap may include an elastic material, the strap may be configuredto move between (i) a loose configuration where the first end portion isadjacent to the exterior side at the first hole and the second endportion is adjacent to the exterior side at the second hole and (ii) atightened configuration where the first end portion is pulled away fromthe first hole such that a portion of the strap passes through the firsthole.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, an adjustablehair band includes an elongated main body portion comprising a firstmetal grommet inserted into a first hole at a first end and a secondmetal grommet inserted into a second hole at a second end of theelongated main body portion wherein the second end is opposite of thefirst end and a strap slidably received in the first metal grommet andin the second metal grommet to form a continuous loop with the elongatedmain body portion. A first end portion of the strap includes an enlargedportion that is larger than a hole in the first metal grommet, and asecond end portion of the strap includes an enlarged portion that islarger than a hole in the second metal grommet. The strap may include anelastic material, and the strap may be configured to move between (i) aloose configuration where the first end portion is adjacent to the firstmetal grommet and the second end portion is adjacent to the second metalgrommet and (ii) a tightened configuration where the first end portionis pulled away from the first metal grommet such that a portion of thestrap passes through the first metal grommet.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a method ofretaining hair with an adjustable hair band includes providing anadjustable hair band comprising: an elongated main body portioncomprising a first metal grommet inserted into a first hole at a firstend and a second metal grommet inserted into a second hole at a secondend of the elongated main body portion wherein the second end isopposite of the first end; and a strap that passes through the firstmetal grommet and the second metal grommet to form a continuous loopwith the elongated main body portion, the strap comprising (i) a firstend portion with an enlarged portion that is larger than a hole in thefirst metal grommet and (ii) a second end portion with an enlargedportion that is larger than a hole in the second metal grommet. Themethod also includes adjusting the adjustable hair band to a looseconfiguration where the first end portion is adjacent to the first metalgrommet and the second end portion is adjacent to the second metalgrommet, and adjusting the adjustable hair band to a tightenedconfiguration where the first end portion is pulled away from the firstmetal grommet such that a portion of the strap passes through the firstmetal grommet such that the strap is retained in the tightenedconfiguration due to friction between the strap and the first metalgrommet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hair band according to certainembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hair band of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the hair band of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are detail perspective views of the hair band of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a hair band according to certainembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the hair band of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the hair band of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is describedhere with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but thisdescription is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of theclaims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, mayinclude different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction withother existing or future technologies. This description should not beinterpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among orbetween various steps or elements except when the order of individualsteps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described.

FIGS. 1-7 illustrate embodiments of hair bands 100. In theseembodiments, the hair band 100 may include a main body portion 101 andan strap 102 attached to each end of the main body portion 101. Forexample, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the hair band 100 may include anelongated main body portion 101. The main body portion 101 includes aninterface at either end for attaching to strap 102. As shown in FIG. 1,the interface may be a hole. In some embodiments, the main body portion101 includes a grommet 103 for each hole. The main body portion 101 hasan exterior side 101 a (visible when the hair band 100 is worn) and aninterior side 101 b that contacts the user 1's hair. The strap 102 isslidably received in (i.e., extends or passes through) the two grommets103 and includes an end portion 104 at each end.

The exterior side 101 a of the main body portion 101 may have anaesthetically pleasing design to suit the individual user 1 and/ordifferent occasions. In some embodiments, the interior side 101 bincludes a layer of material configured to grip a user 1's hair. Forexample, interior side 101 b may include a layer of suede (or any othersuitable material).

The end portions 104 of the strap 102 are larger than the internal sizeof the grommets 103 and may be knotted portions of the strap 102 or maybe a decorative component, such as a bead, stone, gem, or any otherobject. In some embodiments, the end portions 104 may be designedmodularly and to be easily removed such that the main body portion 101may be replaced in order to suit individual tastes or preferences and tobe appropriate for various settings or social occasions.

The main body portion 101 is flexible enough and sized to conform to theshape of the user 1's head as a headband (see FIGS. 1-3) or a selectedamount of user 1's hair (see FIGS. 5-7) and may include one or materialssuch as cotton, wool, rayon, polyester, leather, animal skins, othersynthetic materials, metal, or plastic (or any combination thereof). Insome embodiments, the main body portion 101 is wider than the strap 102;however, in some embodiments, the main body portion 101 is approximatelyequal in width to the strap 102. The main body portion 101 isapproximately flat and is typically inelastic. However, in someembodiments, the main body portion 101 is elastic but stretches lessthan strap 102. In other words, assuming the materials follow Hooke'sLaw, the spring constant (defined as force required to create a givenchange in length) for main body portion 101 is greater than the springconstant of the strap 102.

The strap 102 is configured to adjust between a fully looseconfiguration where each end portion 104 abuts the respective grommet103 (see FIG. 4B) and a tightened configuration where one or both of thetwo end portions 104 is pulled away from main body portion 101 such thata portion 102 a of the strap 102 is pulled through grommet 103 (see FIG.4A). The end portions 104 are larger than (or include enlarged portionsthat are larger than) the holes of the grommets 103. The strap 102comprises fold over elastic, elastic, rubber, elastane (i.e., Spandex orLycra), or any other elastic material. In some embodiments, the strap102 is fold over elastic, which does not leave marks in a user 1's hair.

The main body portion 101 and the strap 102 together form a continuousloop such that the main body portion 101 may be positioned over a top ofa user 1's head and the two end portions 104 are arranged adjacent tothe user 1's ears (see FIG. 3). The continuous loop formed by the mainbody portion 101 and the strap 102 is sized such that the loop snugly orsecurely fits a user's head in the loose configuration. The hair band100 may be adjusted to the tightened configuration to provide a tightermore secure fit or merely to vary the pressure imparted on the user 1'shead. Varying the pressure applied by the hair band 100 may help reduceor alleviate headaches.

When adjusting the strap 102 with respect to the main body portion 101,there is friction based on the compressed size of the strap 102 as itpasses through the grommet 103. When the hair band 100 is worn as shownin FIG. 3, the user 1 may want to tighten or further tighten the hairband 100. However, due to the friction between the strap 102 and thegrommet 103, if the user 1 pulls the end portion 104 outward(perpendicular to the surface of the main body portion 101), the portionof the main body portion 101 adjacent to the grommet 103 will lift offthe user 1's head. To avoid this effect, the user 1 can pull the endportion 104 down or down and slightly to the rear. For example, the user1 can pull the end portion 104 that is approximately parallel to themain body portion 101 along direction P (as shown in FIG. 3). In someembodiments, the direction P is approximately parallel to thelongitudinal direction of the user 1's spine.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 5-7, the hair band 100 is sizedto secure hair in an up position, such as a ponytail, pigtails, braidedhairstyles, or any other appropriate hairstyle. For example, thecontinuous loop formed by the main body portion 101 and the strap 102 issized such that the loop snugly or securely fits a user 1's ponytail(see FIG. 6). To increase pressure of the hair band 100 around theponytail or to adjust to a hairstyle with fewer strands of hair, thehair band 100 may be tightened by pulling one or both of the two endportions 104 (similar to the function described above). Another optionfor tightening the fit of the hair band 100 is to double-loop the strap102 (such that the hair within the hair band 100 is surround on allsides by either (a) two layers of strap 102 or (b) a layer of main bodyportion 101 and a layer of strap 102). Once the strap 102 isdouble-looped, the user 1 may also further tighten the fit of the hairband 100 by pulling one or both of the two end portions 104. As shown inFIG. 7, the hair band 100 (in particular, the embodiment configured forhair in up positions) is configured to be worn on the user 1's wrist asa bracelet (or on an ankle as an anklet). The hair band 100 may loopedaround the user 1's wrist for storage (i.e., when not needed for theuser 1's hair) or may be worn on a user 1's wrist or ankle as anaccessory (independent of usage as a hair accessory).

Different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings ordescribed above, as well as components and steps not shown or describedare possible. Similarly, some features and sub-combinations are usefuland may be employed without reference to other features andsub-combinations. Embodiments of the invention have been described forillustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodimentswill become apparent to readers of this patent. Accordingly, the presentinvention is not limited to the embodiments described above or depictedin the drawings, and various embodiments and modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope of the claims below.

That which is claimed is:
 1. An adjustable hair band comprising: anelongated main body portion comprising an exterior side, an interiorside, a first hole extending between the exterior and interior sides ata first end, and a second hole extending between the exterior andinterior sides at a second end; and a strap that passes through thefirst hole and the second hole, the strap comprising a first end portionthat is larger than the first hole and a second end portion that islarger than the second hole, wherein: the strap comprises an elasticmaterial; and the strap is configured to move between (i) a looseconfiguration where the first end portion is adjacent to the exteriorside at the first hole and the second end portion is adjacent to theexterior side at the second hole and (ii) a tightened configurationwhere the first end portion is pulled away from the first hole such thata portion of the strap passes through the first hole.
 2. The adjustablehair band of claim 1, wherein the strap is retained in the tightenedconfiguration due to friction between the strap and the first hole. 3.The adjustable hair band of claim 1, wherein, in the tightenedconfiguration, the second end portion is pulled away from the secondhole such that a portion of the strap passes through the second hole. 4.The adjustable hair band of claim 1, wherein the interior side comprisesa suede surface configured such that, when worn, the suede surfacecontacts a user's hair.
 5. The adjustable hair band of claim 1, wherein,when worn, the elongated main body portion conforms to a shape of auser's head.
 6. The adjustable hair band of claim 5, wherein theelongated main body portion is positioned over a top of a user's headsuch that the two end portions are arranged adjacent to the user's ears.7. The adjustable hair band of claim 6, wherein the user pulls at leastone end of the strap towards the user's neck to pull a portion of thestrap through at least one hole to tighten the strap.
 8. The adjustablehair band of claim 1, wherein the first and second holes each comprise agrommet such that the strap passes through two grommets.
 9. Theadjustable hair band of claim 8, wherein an interior surface of eachgrommet comprises a textured portion configured to enhance frictionbetween each grommet and the strap.
 10. The adjustable hair band ofclaim 1, wherein the first and second end portions of the strap eachcomprise at least one of a knot and a decorative bead.
 11. Theadjustable hair band of claim 1, wherein, when worn, the elongated mainbody portion is configured to wrap around a plurality of strands of hairextending from a user's head and the adjustable hair band can be removedfrom the user's hair and wrapped around the user's wrist for storage.12. The adjustable hair band of claim 1, wherein the strap comprisesfold over elastic.
 13. An adjustable hair band comprising: an elongatedmain body portion comprising a first metal grommet inserted into a firsthole at a first end and a second metal grommet inserted into a secondhole at a second end of the elongated main body portion wherein thesecond end is opposite of the first end; and a strap slidably receivedin the first metal grommet and in the second metal grommet to form acontinuous loop with the elongated main body portion, wherein: a firstend portion of the strap comprises an enlarged portion that is largerthan a hole in the first metal grommet; a second end portion of thestrap comprises an enlarged portion that is larger than a hole in thesecond metal grommet; the strap comprises an elastic material; and thestrap is configured to move between (i) a loose configuration where thefirst end portion is adjacent to the first metal grommet and the secondend portion is adjacent to the second metal grommet and (ii) a tightenedconfiguration where the first end portion is pulled away from the firstmetal grommet such that a portion of the strap passes through the firstmetal grommet.
 14. The adjustable hair band of claim 13, wherein thestrap is retained in the tightened configuration due to friction betweenthe strap and the first metal grommet.
 15. The adjustable hair band ofclaim 14, wherein the first metal grommet comprises a textured area toenhance friction between the strap and the first metal grommet.
 16. Theadjustable hair band of claim 13, wherein, in the tightenedconfiguration, the second end portion is pulled away from the secondmetal grommet such that a portion of the strap passes through the secondmetal grommet.
 17. The adjustable hair band of claim 13, wherein: whenworn in the loose configuration, the adjustable hair band fits securelyon a user's head; and when worn, the adjustable hair band can beadjusted between the loose configuration and the tightened configurationto vary pressure imparted to a user's head to prevent headaches.
 18. Amethod of retaining hair with an adjustable hair band, the methodcomprising: providing an adjustable hair band comprising: an elongatedmain body portion comprising a first metal grommet inserted into a firsthole at a first end and a second metal grommet inserted into a secondhole at a second end of the elongated main body portion wherein thesecond end is opposite of the first end; and a strap that passes throughthe first metal grommet and the second metal grommet to form acontinuous loop with the elongated main body portion, the strapcomprising (i) a first end portion with an enlarged portion that islarger than a hole in the first metal grommet and (ii) a second endportion with an enlarged portion that is larger than a hole in thesecond metal grommet; adjusting the adjustable hair band to a looseconfiguration where the first end portion is adjacent to the first metalgrommet and the second end portion is adjacent to the second metalgrommet; adjusting the adjustable hair band to a tightened configurationwhere the first end portion is pulled away from the first metal grommetsuch that a portion of the strap passes through the first metal grommetsuch that the strap is retained in the tightened configuration due tofriction between the strap and the first metal grommet.
 19. The methodof claim 18, further comprising positioning the elongated main bodyportion over a top of a user's head such that the two end portions arearranged adjacent to the user's ears.
 20. The method of claim 19,wherein adjusting the adjustable hair band to the tightenedconfiguration comprises pulling at least one of the first end portionand the second end portion down towards the user's neck to pull aportion of the strap through the respective metal grommet to tighten thestrap.